Senior Employment Counsel - Americas

We’re looking for a seasoned, collaborative employment attorney to serve as Senior Employment Counsel, Americas and join our legal team in our New York headquarters. Reporting to the General Counsel, you’ll own employment law across the U.S., Canada, and Latin America — advising on complex employment matters, partnering closely with HR/People leaders, and serving as a trusted problem-solver for business teams across the region. You’ll also support broader commercial legal work and partner with the GC on longer-term strategic initiatives. Crucially, this role offers a deliberate pathway to expand your legal toolkit: you will partner closely with the General Counsel to learn and support our Intellectual Property (IP) and commercial portfolios. This role is ideal for an experienced employment attorney who brings deep U.S. employment expertise and the intellectual curiosity and adaptability to contribute across commercial and IP matters. 

This is a high-impact role for an experienced employment attorney who thrives in a fast-paced, collaborative environment, brings sound judgment under pressure, and wants to shape employment practices at a high-growth global company.

This is a hybrid 3 days in office role, based in New York City.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary employment law resource across the Americas (U.S., Canada, and Latin America), advising on a full spectrum of employment matters including hiring, performance management, terminations, RIFs, leaves, accommodations, and wage and hour compliance
• Stay ahead of and proactively advise on evolving employment laws and regulations across U.S. federal, state, and local jurisdictions where our employees are based as well as Canadian and Latin American markets, translating complex changes into clear, actionable guidance and ensuring the company stays ahead of compliance obligations
• Collaborate closely and proactively with the HR/People team as a trusted partner on employment policies, workplace investigations, employee relations matters, and manager training — serving as a go-to thought partner, not just a reviewer
• Design and implement scalable employment and legal processes in partnership with HR, Finance, and business leaders; build resources (playbooks, templates, training) that empower the team to operate confidently
• Manage employment disputes, agency charges (EEOC, NLRB, state equivalents), and pre-litigation matters across the Americas; coordinate with outside counsel when needed and apply sound judgment to resolve issues efficiently
• Review, draft, and negotiate commercial agreements, including client licensing and subscription agreements, vendor contracts, and NDAs, with a collaborative approach that moves deals forward without unnecessary friction
• Advise on client licensing and fintech commercial matters, including SaaS and data subscription agreements, API licensing, and technology partnership arrangements — ensuring commercial terms align with product, compliance, and risk requirements
• Support intellectual property matters, including advising on IP ownership, protection strategies, licensing terms, and third-party IP issues arising in product development, vendor relationships, and customer contracts
• Support corporate governance, privacy, and other legal matters; opportunities to expand scope based on interest and experience

Requirements

• J.D. with New York Bar admission 
• 8+ years’ experience at a law firm and/or in-house, with a deep focus on employment law including U.S. federal and multi-state matters required
• Experience with Canadian or Latin American employment law a plus
• Exposure to cross-border employment, international mobility, or M&A employment integration is highly preferred
• Skill and experience in contract drafting and negotiation including client licensing agreements and other financial technology/fintech commercial matters preferred, but a genuine curiosity and eagerness to learn fintech commercial law and Intellectual Property under GC mentorship.
• Quick, incisive thinker and creative problem-solver who cuts through complexity, identifies risk quickly, and delivers clear, practical recommendations that enable the business to move forward
• Proactive, collaborative team player who takes ownership and follows through — equally comfortable driving independently and rolling up their sleeves alongside colleagues across HR, Finance, Compliance, and the business
• Exceptional communicator — clear and confident in writing and conversation, able to translate legal complexity into plain language for executives, managers, and employees at all levels
• Skilled at managing competing priorities in a fast-paced environment with grace — highly organized, calm under pressure, and adept at quickly triaging and reprioritizing as needs shift
• High integrity, low ego — brings strong attention to detail and a positive, solutions-oriented attitude; earns trust quickly and sustains it through consistency and good judgment

At Octus, we consider a range of factors in connection with compensation decisions, including experience, skills, location, and our business needs and limitations. As a result, compensation may vary within and across similar roles and positions. Please note that the salary range information below is a good faith estimate for this position and actual compensation for any individual may fall outside this range if warranted by the circumstances applicable to that individual. If we identify a role that would be suitable for a broader range of skills and experience such that we would consider hiring at multiple levels then the range listed below may reflect that breadth.

The base salary range estimate for this position is $170,000 - $200,000, plus eligibility for an annual discretionary bonus.

The actual compensation will be at Octus’s sole discretion and will be determined by the aforementioned and other relevant factors.